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No Spoiler Thoughts: Yojouhan Shinwa Taikei is a very interesting story that stands out as unique even a decade after its release. Out of the over 100 shows I've completed so far, this is in the top 10 in terms on interesting premises. To me the art was initially off-putting and seemed to lack refinement, it ultimately grows on you and complements the tone of the show overall. The characters are interesting and funny. There is a lot of humor which I found quite funny and no jokes felt out of place or "missed".

My only warning is that the finale ... 2 episodes add a lot of context and enrich all the previous ones to the point that I believe anyone watching who believes the show is OK or better might really enjoy it by the end

***MILD SPOILERS BELOW***


Story (9/10): The story doesn't seem to be the highlight of the show at first with it taking more of a slice of life format, however, each episode is a possible life for the MC (Who doesn't have a name). Each of these lives subtly overlap one another in a way that makes it really fun to find the references to earlier episodes and give the viewer an awareness of the world beyond the MC's scope. This ends up letting the viewer piece together the totality of the world around the MC such as what the supporting characters are up to, what those characters are doing, etc, even when a life doesn't show them much or shows another portion of their lives. *BIG SPOILERS* And in the penultimate episode and part of the finale you get to reflect on each of the lives through the MC's perspective and see how his choices revealed parts of the world and left him with a multi-colored life, one perhaps not to far from the rose colored one he yearns for. The final minutes were rather fulfilling and IMO reward the viewer for staying with a show that was good to being with.


Art (8/10): The art style, as already mentioned, is hardly remarkable for the majority of the show in terms of detail, but it makes up for in personality and expression. There are a number of absurd looking characters that add charm to the world and reflect the personalities behind them. And in later episodes, IRL footage is intermixed with traditional animation making for some striking scenes with a lot of impact while not going overboard or pulling you out of the show.

Sound (7/10): For me the sound was the weakest part of the show but by no means bad. The OST was at times average, and at others quite good. I found the OP to be the weakest piece of music in the show although I can't attest to the lyrics. The best part of the sound design for the show is the ED, which remains as one of my favorites, and the the MC's theme, "Watashi no Theme"

Character (8/10): The characters are vibrant so to speak. The quirks, behaviors, expressions, and personalities lend them all a lot of life. My only real gripe with them is that owing to the concept of the show, some of my favorite side characters don't get meaningful growth. The idea of different lives in each episode mean that the only real growth is that of the MC's and he does indeed get some beautiful growth through a gradual realization he makes in the penultimate episode that is mostly internal and the actualization of his growth that takes place in the finale.

Enjoyment (10/10): I found the show to be very engaging with a few standout episodes and the rest being very good. At no point did I find myself bored or annoyed with pacing issues, hoping to move onto the next life. The show engages the viewer quickly and keeps you engaged enough to make it an easy binge watch.

**VERY MINOR EP 1 Spoilers**

Overall (9/10): Overall, I really enjoyed Yojouhan Shinwa Taikei and think that a lot of people will too. The show blends strong comedy, interesting art, and a great concept to make a remarkable product. The show turns a concept similar to The Endless Eight into one that uses the potential of a repeating timeline in an interesting way and avoids the pitfalls of Haruhi Season 2 ultimately leaving a standout show

Act Age quickly became a favorite manga of mine for its wonderful art, deep and nuanced characterization, and intriguing story. As another reviewer posted, it is a fantastic example of non-battle shonen manga and infused the common shonen themes beautifully into a series with complexity and characterization that rivals or beats most shonen manga and anime.

Despite its cancellation due to the disgusting crimes committed by the author, the series is a real gem and the artist, Shiro Usazaki, started strong and has matured into a wonderful creator who I hope is supported in future endeavors.

If you don't mind reading an incomplete series and can ... enjoy the numerous, beautiful and engaging arcs already completed, I'd highly recommend the series.

OVERALL (8.5/10):
I enjoyed this series a great deal over all 122 chapters. Starting strong with an interesting concept and main cast, I was quickly enthralled with the 5 fold will they won't they concept as it unraveled. Each heroine has a unique personality that while following common templates to a degree, were made richer through their sisterhood and how connected their actions, emotions, and decisions were most of the time, adding a depth that was quite enjoyable.

After completing this series I can solidly say that it is a great Harem romance with (Minor but obvious spoiler: a single romantic partner at the end). The ... way story, art, and character worked in harmony meant for an extremely enjoyable read with no obvious weaknesses (beyond a sub-average ending for the series).

STORY (8/10):
As mentioned in the General Thoughts portion, I found the premise and general plot points to be almost exclusively quite good with the only detraction being somewhat lacking development during the choose your harem member portion. I, as many others have stated, believe another 1-2 volumes would have greatly benefited the audience in understanding the protagonist's thought process behind his decision and added some emotional impact behind it.

In general 4-toubun no Hanayome was able to infuse enough drama to spur growth and development without feeling like it was there solely to extend the series and was a great win for a genre where crazy dramatic turns are often thrown in.

ART(8/10):
The art is very consistent and quite good. I found that the background were really nice and that except for the quints, each character was distinct and easily identified at a glance, with good emotion and expression illustrations to match. Moreover, the occasional text-less spreads and panels were all really nice and still added to the story, emotion, setting, and overall enjoyment of the series.

The main detraction, as I see it was that in certain panels it could be quite tricky figuring out which quint is which when it was meant to be somewhat obvious; however, it is worth noting that as I continued to read it became really easy and I can understand the justification that the protag also went through the same difficulty.

Lastly, despite strong art, it was not exceptional in any field, I can think of better backgrounds, more detailed characters, more convincing expressions, and more clever panels in other series thus the very good but not great score of 8.

CHARACTER (8/10):
Enough development and attention was given to each heroine as I see it. Each heroine grew more distinct and likable as the story progressed. There motivations, decisions, emotions and reactions all felt earned in large part and I never found any noteworthy fault before the protag's final and major decision at the end which made sense but which, I felt, lacked the degree of emotional development behind it, that I would've liked.

One thing I did love about the series is that the protag is generally a good person though not some crazy philanthropist or saint, making him feel grounded and somewhat relatable. There was never a moment where I felt like I hated any MC like in other Romance series.

ENJOYMENT (9/10):
As a sucker for a good premise the culmination of each element of 5-toubun no Hanayome was something I continue to love even after a slightly rushed ending. Each moment of drama was engaging and motivated me to continue reading, I loved the heroines, and the occasional comedy was welcome and pretty good.



CONCLUSION:
I would definitely recommend this series to anyone interested in a less conventional romance series or one with an intriguing premise while not delving into ultra dramatic whirlwind relationships I've seen in a few other series.

I also want to say that harem romance that avoids common harem pitfalls and culminates in a one true love, this series is certainly among the best I've yet to read (and I've read and watched a fair few).

There is a lot to love in 5-toubun no Hanayome if you give it a shot!!

TLDR:

This charming and candid recollection of the author's past offers a sincere look into the struggle to understand yourself and sexuality while delivering a narrative that is both light-hearted in presentation but has a great deal of depth to those who can relate or take the time to truly empathize.

The vibe of the Nagata's work is best described as the natural progression of the sort of sweet-but-meaningful narrative your favorite childhood story has for you when you first read/are being read it (Mine is: "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie").

Art = 9:

The art is simple yet has a genuine charm that is ... immediately evident to the reader. While colored using only white, black, and baby pink, the simple palette doesn't detract from the work, instead helping to soften some of the more shocking or disturbing panels and adding an overall warmth to Nagata's work.

My only complaint is that the text bubble placement could get very repetitive at times with 1 bubble at the left and right edge for sometimes 10+ panels in a row and 2+ pages.

Character = 10: *NOTE this is a NON-FICTIONAL work

Nagata's life is one that I can find some similarities to my own in and perhaps that is why I am so fond of her growth that she finds over the years the manga covers and her willingness to share it with the readers.

Nagata is a woman in her mid-late 20's during the story and is in the process of finding the root of her depression and learning to be candid with herself. She manages to progress in both fields though she still reads as having a ways to go before truly finding forging her own path.

Enjoyment = 10:

While is may seem heartless to enjoy a true story of someones suffering and confusion with themselves, I felt that I truly grew a little from the experience and left with things I could take with me as I undergo my own path of self-discovery and acceptance. Furthermore, despite the serious topic, Nagata infuses a warmth into her work that I can best describe as the teen/adult equivalent of the innocent and engaging sweetness you might find in "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" or similar children's books while still in your adolescence.

Overall = 10:

If anything I have presented to you sounds interesting then you owe yourself the 1-2 hours it takes to read Nagata's struggles through the colorful and hopeful lens she inks for us.